ADHD represents a large proportion of all diagnosed child psychopathology and those with ADHD suffer from both core ADHD symptoms and a range of secondary difficulties. Although increased risk for depressive symptoms has been documented among ADHD children, little research has directly explored mechanisms linking these two areas of difficulty. Research on childhood depression has identified a number of child- and family-level risk factors, including maternal depression, critical parenting, aggressive behavior, and peer rejection. Interestingly, each of these risk factors has also been independently linked to ADHD. However, the degree to which these risk factors account for elevated depressive symptoms among ADHD children remains unclear. This paucity of research is surprising given that children with co-occurring internalizing (e.g., depression) and externalizing (e.g., ADHD) problems are at high risk for severe negative outcomes (e.g., suicidality). Here, I propose a model of child depressive symptoms and, through naturalistic summer camps, evaluate the utility of this model in predicting depressive symptoms among children with and with ADHD. Two moderational models serve as comparisons to the primary mediational model. Long-term goals of this research are increased understanding of (a) the development of depression among children, (b) mechanisms placing ADHD children at risk for poor outcomes, and (c) variables key to well-informed prevention and treatment.